ABSTRACT
Metaphors are a special form of analogy or association and aim to help the learner comprehend and communicate new or unfamiliar information based on known or familiar knowledge. Metaphors are widely used in the dermatology lexicon, developed to aid recognition and description of clinical, dermoscopic, and dermatopathologic criteria. Metaphor is seen as a hindrance to understanding and communication in dermatology and dermoscopy. Following from their criticism of metaphoric language, Harald Kittler have set about constructing a new dermoscopic vocabulary based on descriptive language only, exempt from metaphors. Pigmented structures are described as “lines,” “pseudopods,” “circles,” “clods,” and “dots". Schematic illustration is well known in psychology for facilitating effective learning and communication of technical or scientific concepts. Visual metaphors are a form of pictorial representation, and psychological studies have demonstrated that students perform better when text is accompanied by visual metaphors or analogies.
